Box Score (EVANSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 23)—The McKendree University men's basketball team was defeated in Great Lakes Valley Conference play Saturday at the University of Southern Indiana, 94-64.
 
The host Screaming Eagles scored the first 14 points of the contest and never looked back on its way to completing the season sweep of the Bearcats. With the loss, McKendree falls to 7-20 and 1-16 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will close out their 2012-13 season Thursday at Bellarmine University. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) in Louisville, Ky.
 
Junior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) recorded 18 of his team-high 24 points in the second half for McKendree. Happe also pulled down a team-best five rebounds. Happe, who starred at F.J. Reitz High School in Evansville before signing with McKendree, is now averaging 20 points in two collegiate games in his hometown. Happe came off the bench to post 16 points in a loss at Southern Indiana during his freshman season of 2010-11.
 
Senior forward John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) helped carry the offensive load in the first half when he scored 16 of his 18 points against Southern Indiana. Freshman forward Matt Murphy (Jerseyville, IL/Jersey Community) also finished in double figures for the Bearcats with 12 points, 10 of which came in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
Steppe and freshman guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) shared team-high honors with five assists each in the effort for McKendree.
 
Southern Indiana, which shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the first half, broke from the gates quickly against McKendree. The Screaming Eagles took less than four minutes to compile its game-opening run. After Murphy broke the Bearcats' dry spell with a 15-foot jumper at the 15:23 mark, Southern Indiana reeled off 12 consecutive points to stretch its margin to 26-2 with 11:55 left in the opening period. The Screaming Eagles led by as many as 28 points in the half on its way to a 54-30 edge at the intermission.
 
The Bearcats pulled as close as 23 points in the early stages of the second half as Southern Indiana was able to cruise to the victory. The Screaming Eagles defeated McKendree in the first meeting between the two squads back on Feb. 2 at the Statham Center, 78-68.
 
Orlando Rutledge netted 22 of his game-high 29 points in the first half to pace Southern Indiana (19-6, 12-5 GLVC). Keith DeWitt flirted with a triple-double and ended the contest with 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.